


But You're A Criminal! ...Right?

by tinafu



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, Drama, M/M, Slow Burn, Very ambiguous ending, bounty hunter hyunjin, changbin has a crush on hyunjin if it isn’t obvious, it gets serious at times but then its also lighthearted, seungmin is like a modern day robin hood, this fic is just me projecting how i think majority of the fandom views seungmin lol, this fic is so rushed im sorry, timeskip to around the 60s, wild west AU if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:55:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21938587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinafu/pseuds/tinafu
Summary: Purple.It was Hwang Hyunjin’s favourite colour, hands down. Purple was the colour of the custom-made leather grip of his Smith and Wesson snub nose revolver.It was his favourite shade of the sky whenever the sun barely hits the dry, sandy horizon from the second floor basement of his house. It was also the colour he last saw on his mother’s face when her eyes lost their life as they stared into his. The ringing in his young ears filtering out the sounds of his father shouting curses with the violent slam of the front door indicating the last he’d ever see of him.Purple is his favourite colour, and at the same time his most hated colour.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 79
Collections: SKZ Secret Santa





	But You're A Criminal! ...Right?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> I hope I did your prompt justice :(( <3 It was super fun to write but I had several writers blocks so it might suck a little but I tried my best bc ily

Purple. 

It was Hwang Hyunjin’s favourite colour, hands down. Purple was the colour of the custom-made leather grip of his Smith and Wesson snub nose revolver. It was his favourite shade of the sky whenever the sun barely hits the dry, sandy horizon from the second floor basement of his house. It was also the colour he last saw on his mother’s face when her eyes lost their life as they stared into his. The ringing in his young ears filtering out the sounds of his father shouting curses with the violent slam of the front door indicating the last he’d ever see of him. Purple is his favourite colour, and at the same time his most hated colour. 

If 16 year old Hyunjin were to been told that 4 years into the future, he’d become one of the world’s most professional bounty hunters, he’d have pissed himself. ‘Nonsense! Mother and father would beat me until I see the stars during daytime!’ He’d sputter in his embarrassingly high voice. Not knowing that in the next two years, his parents wouldn’t even be around to lay a single finger on him. 

“Hwang, you little grunt.” The back of Hyunjin’s head is roughly shoved forward and his arm flinches enough to knock into the tray of salted peanuts on the counter beside him. 

“Changbin.” Hyunjin smiles as he turns to look behind him. His friend, Changbin is fit in his favourite black plaid tucked into tight jeans, glock sat comfortably in his leather holster loosely wrapped around his hips. The male takes a seat beside Hyunjin at the bar and calls for the waiter’s attention.

“Just some bourbon for today, cheers Jongdae.” 

Hyunjin plays with the condensation of his own cup and coughs, “I dreamt about it again last night. ‘Cept this time, listen now,” He pauses to swipe his tongue along his lips, “It was so god damn vivid Changbin, her lips were bloodied and cracked but even so, I could see how colourless they were under the red.” 

“Oh Jin,” Changbin mumbles, his eyes shine in sympathy for his friend, “So instead of calling Jisung like he told you to, you decided to dance it up at Jongdae’s and get so drunk you won’t be able to remember your own name?” 

A glass of bourbon is placed in front of Changbin with a low chuckle and the two look up. “He’s barely drank anything from that thing,” Jongdae nods at Hyunjin’s almost full mug and smiles, “Poor boy came here wanting to flake his way out of a meeting with the old guy.” 

“The sheriff!?” Changbin’s eyebrows disappear into his ash brown bangs and he drops his forearm onto the counter to lean forward into his friend, “Fuck- Get outta here Jinnie, you’re fuckin’ with me right now.”

“I wish I weren’t, Bin.” Hyunjin sips from his beer before biting his lip in contemplation, “Isn’t it horseshit though? This is the same bastard who refused to give me my license back in the day because ‘ _there’s no way that small father-less fellow can capture high-class criminals, where’d he learn his brute if not from his father? One of ‘em vaulting houses?_ ’” The male spits the last sentence, hostility and anger filtering his pupils as his grip tightens on the mug between his hands. 

“Hey now,” Jongdae says. A soft hand is placed on Hyunjin’s forearm and the elder offers a gentle smile, “That old whaler learned his lesson when no one thought you’d manage a task as big as capturing _the_ Lee Minhyuk. But you fuckin’ did!” 

“Jesus Christ, hell yeah you did!” Changbin chimes in, “Damn town wouldn’t shut up about you for months, Jin. You’re fully capable of what you do and the sheriff acknowledges your abilities now. Why else would that geezer ask to meet with you personally?”

“And yet that was the first and only task he’d ever personally given me.” Is Hyunjin’s bitter response.

“Hyunjin, you’re the favourite of so many other Sheriffs and officers, what’s the difference that you aren’t one of his?”

Hyunjin nods, although with noticeable hesitance and this elicits a scoff from the brunette beside him. A toned arm is suddenly slung around his shoulders and he feels Changbin’s cheshire grin press against his cheek. 

“Good— God, you’re thinking so damn loud I’m pretty sure you could even wake up Lucas from here.” Changbin exclaims as he tightens his hold around Hyunjin. The corners of Hyunjin’s lips slightly raise, humoured, and he playfully shoves his friend away as Jongdae chortles from behind the counter.

“Besides,” He continues, “Chan works under him now, does he not?” Changbin glances at Jongdae for confirmation. He receives a nod from the other man then offers a comforting ruffle to Hyunjin’s hair.

  
“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about!”

“He’s right,” Jongdae chimes in as he wipes down the beer taps behind the counter, “Bud, we all know Chan would without a doubt, shoot the sheriff for you. He’ll be there if the old wheezer gives you any trouble.” 

Hyunjin smiles, although not completely convinced. For sure, he appreciates his friends making the effort to calm his increasing heart rate, but meeting with the sheriff is a big deal. And it’s especially a big deal for Hyunjin, someone the sheriff was forced to hire under the law due to popular demand. So it’s easy to say, Hyunjin isn’t really in the old guy’s good books.

Suddenly, Jongdae leans down and speaks in a hushed voice, “Also, you didn’t hear this from me but he might be assigning you to that new psycho criminal loose in the towns.”

Changbin and Hyunjin’s eyebrows raise in interest, “New criminal?” Changbin says. The ‘wanted’ posters decorating the walls of their town were mostly outdated, some of them not even at all relevant anymore. So this person Jongdae is mentioning must be a super fresh case.

“Yup!” Jongdae tosses his cloth into the sink and motions for Changbin to take a proper seat as he wearily glances around the empty bar for other patrons. 

“Word is that this man is ruthless, you see. Apparently he killed 6 dingin’ camels just to threaten The Four Serpents.” Changbin’s eyes widen as his hands meet the counter in loud slam. 

“The Four Serpents!? Some thug managed to scare off the same four men who were the cause of Chan’s resignation?” A hard exhale blows through his lips and he leans on to the counter with a hand pushed through his bangs, “That’s bullshit.” 

“Its true! Sister Ryujin was there, bud.” Jongdae exclaims as he grabs onto Changbin’s arms. Hyunjin sits in silence, shock coursing through his veins.

He remembers the day Bang Chan came home from his task in capturing the Four Serpents. The man had spent about four nights out in the desert; no communication, no note of reassurance to his friends, nothing. He was assigned to throwing behind bars a group of blood-thirsty thieves who would do anything and everything to get by with no stable income. Seungmin and the other bounty hunters should have known something horrible was bound to happen.

The evening Chan came stumbling home is still clear as day in Hyunjin’s memory. His bruised, swollen face, the obvious gun wound below his rib, his crooked nose, and most noticeably, his missing beloved motorbike. Chan loved that thing like it was his own child. And to see him limping through the main entrance of the town empty handed and bloodied, Hyunjin thought his friend wouldn’t make it to see the next sunrise. 

“Boy… Hyunjin I don’t think you can take this assignment.” Hyunjin’s thoughts are interrupted and he snaps his head up, sight greeted with his friends’ worried faces. 

The boy offers a shaky chuckle, “It’s fine,” He waves a weak hand of dismissal, “I don’t think the Sheriff is willing to assign me, of all people, to a rising high-class criminal.” He starts to fumble his hands and sees Jongdae chew on his lip in his peripheral view. 

“Again, that’s just what I’m thinking. What else could he possibly call you in for? He’s never bothered to meet with you in the past.” This earns Jongdae a harsh nudge from Changbin and a silencing glare. 

“What? Am I wrong?”   
  


Changbin glares, “Hey now, you could still care enough to not shove it in the poor boy’s face that he’s the Sheriff’s least favourite.”

“Way to piss on the growing wound, Bin.” Hyunjin groans. Every single assignment the male had received in the duration of his career had through Chan, and occasionally a couple of other officers too. Apparently the Sheriff would always be too busy to contact Hyunjin himself. Of course this never significantly bothered him; but as a bounty hunter, you’d at least expect to share good relations with all of the law enforcement officers of each town, especially Sheriffs. 

Changbin offers an apologetic smile, ultimately deciding to down the rest of his drink in silence instead of saying anything else that’ll dampen his friend’s mood. Jongdae shakes his head with a humoured smile, and fishes out a pocket watch from his slacks.

“You should probably start heading over there now Hyunjin.” Jongdae says. When he catches Hyunjin’s eyes, he taps at his pocket watch and mouths, ‘It’s twenty-five to.’

Hyunjin purses his lips and concern glazes over his pupils, “I guess I’ll be going then.” Changbin clicks his tongue and bids his friend off with a toothy grin. The bounty hunter gets up from his seat, his back automatically hunching over to show displeasure. This elicits a chuckle from the other two and Jongdae playfully shoos the boy out of the pub. 

“You’ll be fine. Go now and don’t keep him waiting, you know how that old whale gets when he’s made to wait.” The bartender says. 

Hyunjin nods, lips pulled into a pout and he heads out with heavy steps. As the wooden door creaks shut behind him, Hyunjin squints his eyes in an attempt to adjust his eyesight to the glaring sunlight. It was currently autumn but Hyunjin always thought there was no need to name four separate seasons; it always seemed like summer where he lived. The sun was always out, reflecting between the buildings and the sandy paths connecting each road. Hyunjin always preferred to work during the night for this reason. He didn’t mind the hot weather but it was definitely more comfortable to run around from town to town chasing down criminals without the feeling of his clothes becoming one with his skin. 

As Hyunjin makes his way further down the main road of his town, he tries to distract himself. He takes notice of how the Park family had finally repainted their deck, and how the post office’s front gate no longer creaks open by the slightest of winds. 

He spots a few road workers off the side and nods his head as a greeting when he catches their eyes. The road workers here are always out and about, clearing up horse and wheel tracks, manure, and trash from the main area. The tracks tend to get a little bothersome when left for too long and accidents tend to become more prone to happening. For this, Hyunjin is grateful that he lives in a town where the road workers are dedicated and gentlemanly. 

The male passes by the bakery and his steps slow as he takes in the scent emitting from the building’s opened windows. Woojin’s bread and pastries were really the best; different types and fillings fit for any time of the day. Hyunjin’s favourite was for sure, the melon bread. Sweet, but not too sweet. Small, but not too small and just enough to fill him up for the next couple of hours. 

Finally, Hyunjin arrives at the front porch of the local police station. The wood used was a lighter shade than the other buildings in town and it looked the least run down. Changbin always says its because the Sheriff likes to invest more in making his own property look presentable than helping out the town with advancing equipment. ‘But you didn’t hear that from me,’ he’d add with a cheeky wink. 

The hunter quickly signs a cross on his chest and he puffs out an exhale, an attempt to calm down the nerves rushing through his veins. 

“Jinnie!” Hyunjin’s head snaps up at the voice, and almost instantly, he feels the rush of his heart slow down as his lips stretch into a wide smile.

“Chan. I was just about to go in.” 

“Yeah, I saw you praying to the lord,” Chan chuckles. He opens the door wider, an invitation for Hyunjin to enter, “Come on in, you’re a little early. But that’s what Sheriff Park likes so he won’t be as moody as usual.”

The last statement was meant to relax Hyunjin, but his hands start to fumble with each other and Chan notices this. 

“Hey now,” The older smiles gently, “It’ll be fine. The old guy is all bark and no bite, trust me.” 

Hyunjin nods, although hesitantly, and steps through the doorway with Chan following behind him. A couple of heads pop up from their desks with toothy grins and numerous chortles and greetings are directed towards the bounty hunter. 

“Today’s your big day, buddy!” Hyunjin hears from one corner, and his eyebrows peak with interest. Before he can question what the officer meant, Chan is pushing him towards the back where the Sheriff’s separate office was.

Chan silently salutes his friend and Hyunjin crookedly smiles in return before the older male knocks. A baritone, ‘Available’ sounds through the door and Hyunjin swears he feels his heart skip a couple of beats as he eyes Chan’s hand turning the door knob. 

“Ah, Hunter Hyunjin. Just in time, come, come, sit down.” Although he addresses the newcomers, Sheriff Park’s eyes don’t leave the scattered documents in front of him and Hyunjin instead settles for smiling awkwardly at the crown of the old man’s head. 

Chan gestures for his friend to take a seat on the couch in front of the Sheriff’s desk and settles beside him. 

“Sheriff Park, I still think this is a bad idea--”

“Hwang Hyunjin, correct me if I’m wrong, but you are currently free of assignments, no?” Chan purses his lips as the Sheriff interrupts his thought and his back straightens. His eyes dart towards Hyunjin beside him who didn’t seem to have a clue as to why the Sheriff was asking about his availability.

“No sir,” The Sheriff looks up from the paper in his hand and holds direct eye contact with Hyunjin before the latter quickly looks down at his lap, “My last assignment had finished last week.”

Sheriff Park returns to reading the document in his hand and his chapped lips stretch into a fine smile, “Fantastic, fantastic. I’ve been speaking with law enforcement in other areas and we’ve come with a plan, you see,” In his peripheral vision, Hyunjin sees Chan drop his head and suddenly, a shiver runs down his spine. 

The sheet of paper is placed down and replaced with another, Hyunjin sees a profile photo through the back and it looks strangely like himself. 

“We’ve tasked one another to select a strong candidate, a well-rounded bounty hunter, from our own town to complete a heartily rewarding assignment.” 

“I see, it must be important then.” Hyunjin says, his voice almost as low as a whisper. 

Sheriff Park grunts, “That’s right kiddo,” He flips the page and slides it across the desk, “That’s why I need you to forget everything you live for at the current moment and dedicate your fuckin’ life to capturing this disgusting crook.” 

Hyunjin scoots to the edge of the sofa and his heart rate speeds up upon scanning the document in front of him. On it were two profiles, his own and a stranger’s who he guesses is the criminal at hand. 

‘Kim Seungmin’, the second profile reads. 

“He’s a dangerous man,” Chan says from beside him. However, Hyunjin’s eyes can’t seem the leave the photo of the criminal; The way his dark eyes showed so much but at the same time, seemingly nothing at all, the way his messy blonde hair grazed just above his eyes, the way this man looked nothing like how Hyunjin imagined from Jongdae’s tale. 

“We’re very fortunate that he hasn’t rummaged through our town yet, but the stories coming out from the town a few kilometres away are absolutely horrifying.” His friends continues. 

“Christopher.” The Sheriff warns, baritone voice absolute and glazed with warning.

Hyunjin stutters, “I’m very flattered that you’ve nominated me sir, I really am,” His shaky fingers grab onto the sheet of paper to take a closer inspection, “But why me?” 

“Kim Seungmin is an extremely threatening presence in the west right now kid,” Sheriff Park says with a deep exhale. He crosses his hands together and leans forward, elbows on his desk, “Believe me when I say if it were up to me, I would be putting my best men out there and that motherfucker is done in a second.”

Hyunjin bites his lip, immediately understanding the undertones of the Sheriff’s last statement. He reads over the list of criminal offenses under Seungmin’s profile and his fingers tighten their hold on the document the further his eyes move down the list.

“Arson, aggravated burglary, assault, extortion, first and second degree murder, theft, vandalism,” Chan begins to list, “This guy’s done it all, and at an alarming amount too.” 

The Sheriff nods, “That’s right. That fuckin’ hoodlum is a clever one. Dangerously clever.” 

Hyunjin swallows, “So why me?” 

“Because,” The Sheriff leans forward and gestures towards the red circles under both Hyunjin and the criminal’s names, “You are both of the same age, just a couple of months apart. And officer Jaehyun tipped that this detail will be of advantage.” 

“He said Kim Seungmin would be more willing to listen if it were someone his own age. Which I call bullshit on.” Chan whispers the last sentence. 

“Trust me Hwang, I don’t want you out there chasing down a high-class criminal way out of your range of skills, but everyone thinks you’re the best fit.” 

The sheet of paper instantly crinkles in Hyunjin’s hold when he hears the way Sheriff Park effortlessly piss on Hyunjin’s experience as a bounty hunter, “I’ll do it.” 

Chan’s body turns towards his friend, eyes wide, “Jin--” 

“Kid, this could be your last assignment.” 

Hyunjin furrows his eyebrows and locks eyes with the Sheriff. The older man is taken aback for a second, not expecting the way Hyunjin’s eyes hold fury and determination. 

“It won’t be. I can catch this thug. I _will_ catch Kim Seungmin.” 

  
  


+++

“Hwang Hyunjin, you absolute fuckin’ fool.” 

“Pass the rope.” Hyunjin says, looking up into Changbin’s eyes for the first time in the past half hour. 

“I’m not passing you the damn rope, you’re out of your mind.” 

Hyunjin sighs and gets up from his knees, “Fine, I’ll get it myself.” As he steps towards his dresser where Changbin stood, the other male blocks his path and roughly grabs onto his shoulders. 

  
“Fuck, Jin! Why!? Did you not listen to what Jongdae said about this freak!?” Changbin’s eyes shine with unshed tears and his hair is a mess from the multiple times he’s roughed his hand through it. The first thing Hyunjin had done when he left the Sheriff’s office was call his friend to meet up at his place. He knew Changbin’s wasn’t going to take the news well, but he didn’t know his friend would be so adamant on him not going.

Chan leans back on his hands from his position on Hyunjin’s bed and groans, “I’ve tried to stop him, Bin, it’s no use.” 

“I can’t let this crook run around and take any more innocent lives, what else was I supposed to do?” Hyunjin shoves Changbin’s hands from his shoulders and pushes through towards his dresser. 

The hunter continues, “Did you see that list of criminal offenses under his name, Chan? I felt my stomach coming up my fuckin’ throat, it was like it was never gonna end.” 

“If you had said no, the Sheriff would’ve given the fuckin’ assignment to Lucas! Jin!” Changbin exasperates, “I don’t want today to be the last day I see you.” 

“And it won’t be.” Hyunjin snaps. He slams the drawer of his dresser shut after fishing out the rope he’d been looking for. The built up stress inside was at a boiling point and Hyunjin feels his hands tighten into fists. 

“You’re doing the thing, Changbin.” He mutters.

“Huh?” 

Hyunjin turns to Changbin and points a finger into his chest, “You’re doubting me. You’re doing exactly what Sheriff Park has been doing all these years and will continue to do if I don’t capture Kim Seungmin. You’re implying that I’m not skilled enough to survive this assignment and don’t even deny because everyone is like this. Everyone is always like this.” 

“Right, that’s enough you two.” Chan calls from the bed, “Hyunjin we’re not doubting you. This man committed arson on a fuckin’ barn that houses 15 people. Who knows what he’s capable of doing to a bounty hunter sent specifically to throw him behind bars.” 

Changbin’s eyes soften, “We’re just worried-”

“And you’d rather Lucas go out there? What’s the difference?” Hyunjin snatches back his hand and returns to packing his bags. “You’re not worried. You just don’t think I’m capable of catching high-class criminals.” 

“Jin, this guy is different from the other criminals you’ve been assigned to, stop being ignorant.” Changbin begs. He palms his forehead and bites his lip, realising that there’s no use in stopping his friend anymore. 

Once zipped closed, Hyunjin slings his bag over his shoulder and holsters his gun, “I’m off now.” 

Changbin and Chan glance at each other and Chan shakes his head, silently telling his friend to just let the bounty hunter do what he wants. Changbin is hesitant but ultimately backs down. He takes Hyunjin’s hand into his own.

“Please come back home. Scathed or unscathed, I don’t care, just as long as this thing,” He points at his friend’s heart, “is still beating.” 

Chan gets up from the bed and roughly slings his arm around Hyunjin’s shoulder, “You know the drill, be safe, kid.” 

Hyunjin’s lips form a tight smile, “I’ve been doing this shit for years, I’ll be fine you guys.” 

The three share a smile, although pained, before adjusts the strap of bag with a heavy sigh, “I’ll be sure to not pull a Chan and keep in contact.” 

A weak chuckles leaves Changbin’s lips and Chan shoves Hyunjin with an offended groan, “I wasn’t in my right mind okay? Jesus.” 

Hyunjin grins, but his eyes remain soft and crestfallen. The bounty hunter steps out from his house with his friends following after and hops on his motorbike. 

Changbin passes his helmet over with a bitter smile, “This Kim Seungmin guy sounds like a fighter.” 

“I know.” Hyunjin says, grabbing his helmet from his friend before putting it on. Changbin continues.

“Sounds like he’s very capable of snapping spines with a single pinch.” 

Chan slaps a warning hand on the brunette’s shoulder as Hyunjin exhales, “Changbin.” 

“I don’t know, he just sounds like he’d blow your brains out without a second thought.”

“Changbin.” This time it’s Chan’s voice. The two make eye contact and the older male shakes his head, a clear sign to stop talking. 

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Hyunjin reassures his friend as he starts up his bike. He kicks back the kickstand with his heel and revs the engine before glancing back at his friends.

“I’ll keep in touch, don’t cry too much.” 

Changbin scoffs and makes a mockery of waving off Hyunjin with a dismissive hand. Chan chuckles and sends the hunter a comforting smile, the first genuine smile he’s shown since the meeting with the Sheriff.

“Be careful.”

And with that, Hyunjin speeds his way out of town, body leaning forward into his motorbike. The sun is now beginning to set, with the sky coloured different hues between orange and purple against the sandy horizon and the humidity level slowly decreasing. Hyunjin inhales, taking in the fresh feeling of the wind against his body and proceeds to speed up once out of the gates of his town.

The Hunter glances down at the compass built into his bike’s mini dashboard and turns right, away from the main road, to head north. Earlier, he had flipped through and discussed with Chan the alibis of Kim Seungmin and most recent reports of his whereabouts. The town of Henesys was his first destination; it was the town where the criminal had apparently spent the most time occupying, and was only a short distance away with shortcuts. 

Hyunjin mentally recites the names he had seen in Kim Seungmin’s document earlier: Lee Felix, Yang Jeongin, ages 20, the same as himself. They’re helpers at a foster care and were apparently present when Seungmin had attempted to rob the place. The bounty hunter clicks his tongue, disgust filling his throat at the thought of someone being so despicable as to break into a foster care of all places.

He hasn’t heard much about Henesys but from what he does know, it’s a very lively town. Henesys is one of very few towns that actually bother to celebrate holidays and seasons, which makes sense given the size of the area. Jongdae had talked about it once, every few months the towns people would come together and celebrate in the plaza located in the heart of the town. The older male never said what for, but Hyunjin never felt the need to find out, he was content enough knowing a town such as this one exists. He couldn’t ever imagine his own holding celebrations like that. 

As Hyunjin’s trip continues, the surface underneath gradually turns from rock to gravel and he takes notice of the increasing amount of greenery around him. The hunter rides past a small lake and his eyes shine at the sight. The water was glittering between shades of violet, pink and orange, with long stalks of sugarcane lining along its borders. 

Soon enough, the bounty hunter spots the roofs of a few buildings peeking over the horizon in the distance and increases his speed. 

“Kim Seungmin,” He says to himself as his hands tighten their grip on the handles of his bike, “Exactly what kind of person are you?” 

The buildings in the distance are a lot larger now as Hyunjin closes the distance and he squints his eyes at a large wooden arch, most likely the main entrance to the town. 

‘Welcome to Henesys!’ It reads, ‘Population: 238’

Hyunjin starts to slow down as he closes in on the entrance and his engine quietens down, matching the peaceful ambience of the town. He comes to a complete stop beside one of the wooden columns supporting the arch and decides to leave his bike there after pondering the safety of the area. 

“Visitors usually come during the morning when the markets have just opened and stocked fresh goods.” Hyunjin jumps at the sudden voice and his hand reflexively reaches for his glock. His eyes shoot towards the building closest to the entrance, where the voice had come from and exhales when his eyes are met with a large, curious ones.

“Howdy,” The boy grins. His pearly whites are inviting and his wavy blonde hair bounces when he hops down from his seat on the porch railing, “You didn’t time your visit very well. The markets have just started to close up.” 

“Ah, it’s all goods.” Hyunjin smiles, he clicks open the seat of his bike and fishes out his ID from the storage unit underneath. 

“I’m Hwang Hyunjin, a bounty hunter-- uh, a police officer, if you will,” A switch up in his greeting is prompted by the way the other boy’s eyes widen at the word, ‘hunter’.

“You don’t happen to know a Lee Felix or a Yang Jeongin around here, do you?”

The blonde’s head tilts to the side and anxiousness glazes over his features, “Why? Are they in trouble?” 

“Ah, no,” Hyunjin is quick to assure the boy, “I just need to ask them a couple of questions about a very important mission I’m working on.” 

“I see,” The boy hums as he kicks at the dirt beneath, “Um, Felix and Jeongin are currently out of town and won’t be back--” 

Hyunjin smiles, and makes sure it’s the most inviting smile he can muster to ensure the other male that he means no threat, “Felix,” He says.

The other’s movement freezes, “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble. Contrary to popular belief, I catch criminals, not innocent citizens.” 

Felix sighs and looks into Hyunjin’s eyes, guilty, “I’m sorry I lied. But Jeongin is down with some kind of flu and I don’t want him being exposed to any sort of danger right now.” 

“It’s okay. I understand.” Hyunjin smiles, “Will it be too much for me to meet him right now? I need to ask the both of you questions about something.”

He sees Felix biting his lip, evidently pensive about being able to trust Hyunjin so soon and laughs, “It’s okay to say no, I can see you guys tomorrow morning when you’re ready.”

“No,” Much to the hunter’s surprise, the other male gently grabs onto his forearm as their gazes meet, Felix’s eyes form into warm crescents as he says, “He’s a lot better today than he was yesterday. Plus, as an officer, you have a duty to capture thugs as soon as possible before they wreak havoc, right?” 

Felix’s smile is childlike yet comforting, and for a moment, Hyunjin lets himself get lost in the other boy’s gaze. The bounty hunter hums as confirmation and soon after, he feels himself being pulled through the town’s entrance. 

“We’re a very peaceful area. We don’t get a lot of your kind around here.” 

Hyunjin’s eyebrows raise, “ _‘Your_ _kind_?’” he questions.

Felix looks back at him and nods at Hyunjin’s badge, “Kerning, right? That’s where our guns come from. So we assume your area is full of, you know, tough guys.” The last two words are whispered, as if Felix is afraid he’ll offend anyone who could be listening in on their conversation.

This elicits a laugh from Hyunjin, “I mean, we are somewhat violence-oriented people I guess. But we have morals, we do have one of the largest teams of officers and bounty hunter.” 

Felix hums as he leads them up a small flight of stairs before he opens the door to what seemed to be the town’s foster care. 

“I’m assuming you’re holding profiles of Innie and I so you should know what this place is.” 

Hyunjin looks around and his face instantly softens. The walls are painted to simulate a Disney-esque forest with pastel colours and soft music plays in the background. They pass by a group of women preparing dishes upon dishes of mouth-watering food and a chorus of ‘Welcome home, Lix’s and motherly smiles are directed towards the pair. 

“Jeongin and I sleep on the third floor, above the kids. Lady Yoo took the both of us in when we turned 18 and we repay her by working full time with helping out with the children.” 

And to think that just the other night, some scumbag had attempted to break in and do God knows what to this place. Hyunjin feels a knot in his throat and takes Felix’s grip from his forearm, only to intertwine their fingers. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Felix smiles, though obvious confusion is present in his features, “What for? We love being here, and Lady Yoo takes very good care of us.” 

“No, not that, I mean--” 

“Felix, you’re home?” Hyunjin is interrupted by a soft voice and he looks towards the area it came from. 

A boy, who he assumed to be Yang Jeongin, is clad in a cotton pyjama set and his ruffled blonde locks are an indicator that he had just woken up. Hyunjin’s eyes meet Jeongin’s and his lips automatically stretch into a smile. Felix and Jeongin really resemble each other. 

Jeongin wipes his right eye with his hand and looks at Felix, “Boyfriend?”

Flustered, Hyunjin quickly lets go of the other boy’s hand and subconsciously wipes his clammy hands at his thighs with a cough. Felix giggles and pushes the hunter forward, an invitation to properly enter the room. 

“He wants to ask us questions.” 

Hyunjin passes his ID to Jeongin who takes it with a hesitant hand and watches as the blonde male squints while he reads over Hyunjin’s details. 

“I’ve a bounty hunter, and not to toot my own horn and all, but I’m in the higher classes so I know what I do and I do it well,” He takes back his card and pockets it. Jeongin brings his legs up to his chest and leans his chin onto his knees before focusing his full attention on Hyunjin. 

The hunter takes a seat beside Felix on his twin bed which is across from Jeongins and glances at them both wearily before continuing, “I’ve been assigned to capturing a high-class criminal and there are recent reports of him coming through your town.” 

The boys’ glance at each other, confusion painting their features as Hyunjin continues, “I’m sorry if you’re still shaken up by what happened. But if you can, could you give me any sort of description of the man?” 

“Huh?” Is the only response he receives from the two blondes. Soon after, the same syllable slips from Hyunjin’s lips as well.

“The break-in the other day? There was a report that this guy had attempted aggravated burglary at the foster care?”

“...No,” Jeongin draws out as he and Felix side eye one another, “I’ve been sick in bed the past week and I don’t remember hearing any commotion going on downstairs.” 

“Are you sure it was the foster care?” Felix asks.

The corner of Hyunjin’s lips stretch in thought and the longer the other two males stare at him, the more his ears start to burn in awkwardness.

“No,” Jeongin says to his best friend as Hyunjin fishes through his slingover, “When something _that_ terrible happens in Henesys, word travels fast. But I haven’t heard anything about a break-in.” 

Felix looks up in thought, “Neither have I…” He penses. The bounty hunter beside him fishes out the criminal’s documents and hurriedly scans through the scribbled reports. 

“It says, ‘attempted burglary at Henesys Foster Care.’ right here,” Hyunjin flips the pages around to show Jeongin and points at the sentence, “These are accounts collected by Sheriffs and Officers around the country, there’s no chance that it’s false.” 

“Kim Seungmin?” Jeongin reads out, “Seungminnie?” 

Hyunjin’s eyes squint, “ _Seungminnie_?” 

“Yeah,” Jeongin takes the page from the hunter’s hand and flips it around with his index finger pointed at Seungmin’s profile photo printed on the front page. 

“That’s our Seungminnie.” 

“He’s no criminal,” Felix chortles, “He does tend to forget to knock but he’d never attempt a break-in.” 

Hyunjin feels his head spinning and he places a hand on the bed to steady himself, “Huh?” The syllable comes out almost a whisper and he glances between the two friends. 

He ruffles his black locks, stressed, and leans forward to snatche back the pages, “Kim Seungmin? High-class criminal? committed arson, murder, aggravated burglary and identity theft?” 

“Seungmin?” Jeongin exclaims in disbelief, “Kim Seungmin, a high class criminal? The same guy who was willing to dirty his white jeans just so he could be on the same eye level as a dog?” 

“This must be another Kim Seungmin,” Hyunjin says quickly, palms clammy and toes clenched, “There’s been so many accounts of Seungmin wreaking havoc around the country, this can’t be the same guy.”

“But that’s him,” Felix leans over to point at the photo on the first page, “There’s no doubt that that’s our Seungminnie.” 

Jeongin’s eyes glare at the male before him in suspicion, “Aren’t you meant to be like, a professional bounty hunter?” 

Hyunjin takes immediate offense, “I am!” He crosses his arms in thought and exhales harshly through pouted lips, “Are you sure your _friend_ doesn’t sneak out during the night to burn down a stable or something?”

“Seungmin would never do something like that.” An immediate reply comes from the two best friends at the same time and Hyunjin falters.

The bounty hunter sucks his teeth and tilts his head in thought, “There’s no way Sheriff Park had given me the wrong profile, could he?” 

“It seems so, because I’m gonna be frank with you Hyunjin, our Kim Seungmin would never do something like commit arson, the most he’s put on fire was a jumbo marshmallow.” Jeongin frowns at Hyunjin before moving to lay down, back faced towards the the other two. 

“If you want to see for yourself, he told us he was gonna be in Sleepywood for the next couple of days.” The last sentence is muffled by the way the sick boy covers his entire body with his blanket and Felix offers Hyunjin an apologetic smile.

Hyunjin slowly sits back down on the bed and speaks in a hushed voice, “Is he from there?” 

The male beside him shakes his head with a bittersweet smile, “Seungminnie’s never told us where he’s really from. He tends to travel here and there but spends most of his time either here or in Sleepywood.”

“Although lately he’s been needing to move around a lot more, or at least stay on the down low because…” Felix’s voice comes to a pause and he wearily glances towards Jeongin. 

“Because he’s a wanted criminal?” Hyunjin finishes. He doesn’t know exactly why, but his heart clenches when Felix nods with a shaky smile, eyes pained. 

“No one’s bothered to look here though. We can’t figure out why, and Seungmin won’t tell us himself,” Felix pulls the sleeves of his pullover down to cover his hands, “We know he isn’t a saint. He’s stolen from people, that’s a given. There’s no way he’s always able to somehow provide us with feasts with no stable income without stealing.” 

Hyunjin hums, “So the thievery part is correct.” 

“It’s correct, but that still doesn’t make Seungmin some monster the entire country should be chasing after.” 

Hyunjin flicks through the pages Sheriff Park had given him before he left. They contained everything he needed to know about Kim Seungmin; frequently seen locations, crimes committed, alibis, everything. The only detail that isn’t provided is…

“Does Seungmin have any family?” 

“We don’t know…” Felix replies, “Seungmin is just someone who comes and goes, but I do know that he’s very close to some people.” 

“Like who?”

“Felix.” Jeongin voice calls from under his blanket. Hyunjin and Felix look at his silhouette popping up from the bed and Hyunjin’s eyebrows furrow at the next sentence, “Don’t tell him too much. We don’t know what he’s up to.”

“I’m a bounty hunter, I’m not a serial killer.” 

Jeongin sits up and glares at him, “How do you expect us to tell you about someone you’re holding completely false records of?” 

“I was only sent to capture him. Bounty hunters don’t kill, if that’s what you’re worried about. We only cause harm when resisted.” 

Hyunjin feels a warm hand on his own and he looks at Felix who sends him a small smile, “Please trust us when we say that Seungminnie is not who you think he is.” 

The hunter sighs, conflicted, and flips through the documents in his hands, “Well I can’t make any decisions yet. I’m going to need to talk to more people. He has one other alibi listed.”

Felix looks over at the page and his cheeks puff out in thought, “Lee Minho? Ah, he’s in Sleepywood. I think he might be why Seungmin’s gone there actually.” 

Hyunjin stands up and dusts his lap, “I guess that’s where I’m off to, then.” Felix fervously nods and follows Hyunjin as they head out of the building. The black-haired male fiddles with the buckle of his shoulder bag as they make their way outside where the sun has now set. The two boys look up at how glittering stars fill the clear sky before Felix fixes his gaze on the bounty hunter.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay at the inn tonight? It’s late and you never know what goes on out there.” 

Hyunjin smiles, appreciative of Felix’s kindness despite them having just met and shakes his head to reassure the other boy.

“I’ve done this heaps of times before, Felix. Thank you for your help.” 

They stop at the main entrance where Hyunjin’s motorbike is still parked and the bounty hunter can’t help but notice the way the blonde’s features look busy, like he wants to say something yet can’t bring himself to.

“Hey,” Hyunjin places a comforting hand on Felix’s shoulder and smiles, “I won’t do anything to him. I just need to check out the situation more, just in case, y’know?” 

Felix nods, although still unsure, and Hyunjin offers a final look of reassurance before hopping on the vehicle. He turns the key in the ignition and the engine roars to a start as Felix takes a few steps back. He still looks like he wants to say something and Hyunjin can’t help the sigh that leaves his lips.

“What is it?” He finally asks.

“Huh?”

Hyunjin smiles gently at the male, “You look like you want to say something more. Tell me.” 

“It’s a little much,” Felix stutters after a small pause, “But if you get the chance, could you tell Seungminnie to bring back some granny smith apples? Jeongin hasn’t been eating much lately and I can’t make his favourite recipe without them.” 

Hyunjin laughs, “A weird request, but I’ll try.”

“I don’t know,” The blonde male fiddles with the ends of his sleeves, “I don’t know why I’m feeling this way, but I feel like I can trust you. I can trust that you won’t hurt Seungminnie.”

“And I won’t. Thank you.” Hyunjin assures, grateful upon hearing Felix’s words. He wears his helmet then pushes back the bike’s kickstand with his foot before leaning forward, preparing to ride off. 

“Tell Jeongin to get better soon.” 

Felix responds with a playful salute, and Hyunjin chuckles before pressing on the accelerator. His next stop is Sleepywood; just like its name implies, the town of Sleepywood is notorious for its relaxation facilities, particularly the sauna located in the town’s heart. 

Come to think of it, these locations are the very opposite of what Hyunjin would’ve initially connected to Seungmin. Lively Henesys and Sleepywood, home of relaxation. The bounty hunter shakes his head, excusing the sudden thought to be a biased aftereffect of meeting Felix and Jeongin.

Felix and Jeongin. They were like biological brothers, with the way they looked and the way they treated each other. Hyunjin thinks about how their eyes held so much innocence, but at the same time seemed to tell so many stories no one else would be able to tell. His mind also wanders to how Jeongin was so defensive over Seungmin, how he was so quick to defend the criminal’s name and how upset he got when looking over the document Hyunjin had. 

Maybe he did have the wrong idea about this guy.

Why else would Jeongin jump to his defense so adamantly? The sick boy didn’t at all see like the type to justify crimes like arson and murder either. And Felix’s eyes; the way his deep orbs would beg Hyunjin to back down from his assignment whenever they made eye contact. 

Hyunjin dips his head slightly and groans. No other mission had been as confusing as this one. He could return home and question whether he had received the correct profile but that’s where it got complicated. It can’t be a document mixup, why would Seungmin have a criminal profile in the first place if he was innocent? 

The bounty hunter’s grip tightens and he tries his best to free his mind from the situation to avoid any unwanted accidents. 

Soon enough, he arrives at Sleepywood which is situated in a much greener area, where more trees can be seen without the need to squint into the distance. As he decreases in speed, Hyunjin glances at his dashboard and notes the time, 8:24pm.

At this time, Kerning would be dead silent and everyone would either be settled in their own homes or knocked out, re-energising for the next day. However, Hyunjin’s interest is piqued when he spots rows of lit up lanterns lining the main street running down the town along with the sound of muffled chatter. Sleepywood seems to be a nocturnal town.

Unlike Henesys, beside the main entrance to Sleepywood was what seemed like an area to park vehicles. Which makes sense considering the size difference between the two towns.

Hyunjin rides into the parking area and raises an eyebrow at the unexpectedly large number of vehicles occupying the space. He quickly parks his motorbike in an empty spot near the entrance and while securing his helmet on a hook under the dashboard, the bounty hunter can’t help but overhear a conversation happening nearby. 

“Minho gave it to me.” His ears perk up at the name and he looks towards where the voice had come from.

By the main entrance of Sleepywood stood a group of teenagers Hyunjin guesses to be just about younger than himself. A few of them held cigarettes between their fingers and immediately, Hyunjin rolls his eyes in realisation. He’s experienced teenagers like this before.

“Minho did not give that to you, you snatched it from his bedside table.” Spits one of the males. He leans further against the entrance’s column and crosses his arms with a smirk as his friends cackle. 

“I did not snatch it,” The girl who first spoke huffs in annoyance, “I saw it in his room and saved him the trouble by taking what was going to be given to me anyway.”

Hyunjin decides now to muster up the courage to walk up to the group and as he nears them, he catches a few eyes. The back of his throat gets caught when he spots one of the guys nudge his friend’s arm with an alarmed expression. 

“Evening,” He greets. The group tentatively nod their heads and a couple of hands are raised slightly. As Hyunjin scans each face present in before him, his eyes linger a little longer on one particular boy. 

Kim Seungmin. He’s a lot more handsome in person but that’s definitely the Kim Seungmin he’s meant to be capturing. Felix and Jeongin had mentioned that the criminal is aware of his wanted state so Hyunjin makes sure to play his game carefully.

“Uh,” The bounty hunter stutters as he fishes out his ID from the front pocket of his slingover before flashing it towards the group, “Hwang Hyunjin, bounty hunter. I overheard a Minho being mentioned just now and was wondering if that so happened to be Lee Minho?” 

“What’s it to you? Minho wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Seungmin spits. He steps forward so that he’s stood in front of the group, both hands in the pockets of his jeans. Now that the male is no longer hidden in the shadows of his friends, Hyunjin can’t help the way he loses himself in Seungmin’s facial features. 

The boy is donned in a beige and off-white striped sweater cropped so that the hem sat just above the curve of his waist. Hyunjin’s eyes lower and he tries his best not to stare at the way the pair of boyfriend jeans Seungmin has on fit a little too well around the thighs. 

“He would if the fly was bothering you.” One of the boys snickered from behind, followed by muffled laughter from the others. 

Seungmin ignores them and reaches for Hyunjin ID, “Bounty hunter? Minho doesn’t have a criminal record.” He plays with the card, flipping it between his fingers in a way that already tells Hyunjin all about what kind of person the blonde male was. Seungmin was someone sneaky, he knew his way around obstacles and he probably used these to his advantage when stealing.

“No,” Hyunjin attempts to snatch back his card and glares at the boy in front of him when the object is raised into the air, “but you do. Kim Seungmin.”

Choruses of ‘ooh’s sound from behind Seungmin and his right eyebrow raises into his bangs, “Do I?” He teases.

Hyunjin gives up on trying to retrieve his Identification card and crosses his arms over his chest, “Arson, aggravated burglary, involvement in money heists, and possible homicide.”

Everyone’s eyes dart towards Seungmin who scoffs, disbelieving of the words that had just come out of Hyunjin’s lips. 

One of his friends cough, “Sir, you’ve got the wrong guy. Our Seungmin would never do any of those.” 

The rest of the group eagerly nod in agreement. Hyunjin exhales and brushes his hair back before fishing out Seungmin’s profile from his bag. He then passes it to said criminal and watches as the group scuffle closer to peak over his shoulder.

“That’s his picture all right, but the description is definitely not Seungmin.” One of them says.

“The only person I’m willing to take accounts from is Lee Minho. He’s the only one left listed as an alibi.” Hyunjin’s voice is stern and he grabs onto Seungmin’s raised arm to retrieve his ID. The two hold eye contact for a few seconds; Seungmin’s gaze is passive and strong-willing. His orbs also shine in a way that tells a story Hyunjin can’t seem to figure out with just looking.

The blonde scoffs then shoves Hyunjin’s ID along with the documents into his chest and the bounty hunter ignores the way the wind is knocked out of him for a split second. 

“Let’s go, you guys.” Seungmin mumbles. The group begins to head through the entrance and back into the town. Hyunjin offers a tight smile in response to respectful bows and nods from the teenagers before grabbing onto Seungmin’s arm to hold him back.

“I’m not letting you go. These crimes,” Hyunjin raises the hand holding onto the other’s profile and shakes it, “Are way too severe to be all lies.” 

Seungmin sighs in annoyance and roughly shakes off the hunter’s tight grip on his arm before glaring into his eyes, “Listen, you’re cute and all, but I don’t know why my photo is being associated with those crimes. It’s not me that you want.” 

Hyunjin quickly packs away the documents and pockets his ID to distract himself from the growing blush on his cheeks. When he looks up, the two stare into each other’s eyes for a short while before the bounty hunter backs down with a soft sigh. 

“I’m not letting you off the hook just because you’re telling me you’re not the right person. It doesn’t work like that.”

“I know your type,” Seungmin spits, “Always attacking innocent citizens for no reason. Accusing random people of crimes they never committed and throwing them behind bars for a lousy sum of coin.”

Hyunjin is quick to jump to his own defense, tired, “That’s not what my work consists of, I make sure the criminals I catch are fully guilty.” 

The blonde spits at the ground, just missing the tips of Hyunjin’s boots and the hunter steps back, astonished at the act. No more words are exchanged before Seungmin glares at Hyunjin for a final moment before heading into the town. 

The bounty hunter is stunned, disgusted. But for some strange reason he finds his own feet following after the other male. The pounding of music grows louder the closer Hyunjin gets to the town’s centre and Seungmin is nowhere to be seen. Once at the heart, he allows himself to get lost in the beauty of Sleepywood and its colours.

In the very centre of the town was an old, giant oak tree decorated with fairy lights and lanterns. Hyunjin steps closer to take a better look and sees photos of families and friends hanging from its branches with red thread. He looks around, awed at the sight of couples, families and children hanging around by food stalls and along the grass surrounding the oak tree; laughing like there isn’t a care in the world.

A sight like this was hard to find back in Kerning.

“Ah, excuse me.” Hyunjin calls out to a passing stranger. The girl stops in her tracks and looks at him with a smile. 

“Yes? You must be new here, I haven’t seen you around before.” She greets.

Hyunjin chuckles, and is internally grateful the random stranger he decided to call out to was nice and not like Seungmin, “Yeah, I’m a visitor. I was hoping you’d direct me to someone by the name of Lee Minho?” 

“Ah, Minho. Come with me.” She grabs onto Hyunjin’s hand and pulls him through the crowd towards the food stalls. The bounty hunter is immediately hit with the aroma of several dishes and street foods, his mouth begins to water at the display of grills and pans full of skewers, pastries and sandwiches. 

“The name’s Yeji, by the way. You must be here for our festival right? Minho makes the meanest savoury crepes.” Hyunjin’s mind snaps back to reality at the voice and he looks at the girl pulling him along the street. 

“Ah no,” He answers, “I didn’t know Sleepywood was holding a festival tonight. But it looks like lady luck had my back tonight.” 

Yeji laughs, “I see. Is it bothersome to ask why you’re here then? Can’t think of why else a stranger would be looking for Minho.” 

“I’ve just got a couple of questions to ask him about Kim Seungmin.” 

Hyunjin swears the smile that appears of Yeji’s face at the mention of Seungmin is bright enough to light up the night sky as she responds, “Oh Seungminnie! Then Minho is definitely the right person to go to.” 

The two suddenly stop in front of a food stall and it takes Hyunjin a huge effort to tear his eyes away from the toasted sandwiches before him to look at Yeji. 

“Is this where he works?”

“Oh, no,” Yeji grins, “But what’s the point of being in Sleepywood during one of its rainbow nights at all if you’re gonna snack a little, you know?” 

She faces the old couple behind the grill and raises 2 fingers, “Two mushroom specials, please Mrs Soon. Extra ham and cheese.” 

“Always extra cheese for you, Yeji darling.” The woman replies with a hearty laugh. When she turns to smile at Hyunjin, he quickly bows his head in greeting, flustered. 

As they wait for their order, Yeji turns to Hyunjin with her head tilted in question, “I think I can answer a few questions about Seungmin.”

Hyunjin is startled by the sudden statement, “Huh?” He stutters.

“We’ve talked a few times. And he’s done a lot for me.” Yeji is sheepish when she voices the second sentence. Hyunjin looks at her and smiles at the way her features have softened, revealing a side of her he had failed to see initially. 

“Of course, I won’t be as useful as Minho, that’s a given. Those two are like Robin Hood and Little John,” She giggles and Hyunjin finds himself laughing along, failing to understand the undertones of the girl’s reference, “Seungmin is really sweet, although it’s hard to tell because he shows he cares through really strange ways.”

“I see,” Hyunjin notices now that so far, everyone’s descriptions of Seungmin seem to align. And they align in the complete opposite direction from what he’s read from the documents provided by Sheriff Park. “What do you mean by ‘strange’?”

Yeji giggles, “Where do I start?” As she looks up in thought, Hyunjin studies the way her features would contort into different emotions, eyes fond and lips permanently curved upwards. 

“He once appeared on my balcony in the middle of a rainy night,” Yeji exclaims as she flicks her brown hair to sit behind her shoulder, “He was so stupid, he could’ve gotten terribly sick but I wasn’t feeling well that night, and I absolutely hate the sound of rain. He said he wanted to keep me company and even gifted me a bracelet.”

Yeji pulls up her sleeve and underneath revealed a silver bangle. In the middle was a single sapphire, glittering under the lights of the town’s lanterns and street lamps. 

Hyunjin smiles at the way Yeji looks at the accessory as if it held the universe, “He knows sapphires mean a lot to me.” 

“Have you two been friends long?” Hyunjin asks.

The brunette shakes her head, “We only met early this year. But he is very much like a brother to me.” Yeji pulls back down her sleeve and walks up to collect their sandwiches when Mrs Soon calls for her name. Hyunjin follows and is about to ask another question when Yeji’s next words stop him.

“Minho and I are really all he has, I think. Seungmin doesn’t have anyone to go home to, unlike ourselves. Heck, he doesn’t even have a home.” 

It’s all so casual, the way the words slip out from her lips, that Hyunjin almost misses it. He sputters a quick ‘thank you’ to Mrs Soon and grabs his sandwich from Yeji before they continue walking down along the stalls. 

“That’s not for me to say though, you should ask Minho. He’ll know a lot more.” Hyunjin’s response is silence. He doesn’t know what to say; whether to apologise, or thank Yeji. 

Instead, he chooses to take a bite from the snack in his hands, instantly melting in the savoury taste of the ingredients inside. A string of cheese connects his lips to the sandwich when he pulls back and Yeji laughs. 

“Good, isn’t it? Mr and Mrs Soon have magical hands. Anyways,” Yeji pauses to take a bite from her own sandwich before continuing, “Minho’s stall is just up here, he usually closes earlier than the others so he should be free to talk.” 

Hyunjin hums and soon they arrive at a food stall being cleaned by who he guesses should be Minho. It’s the only stall void of smoke and the aroma of food.

“Yeji, I just closed earlier.” The male pouts. Yeji laughs and passes her sandwich to him before dusting her hands free of crumbs. 

“I can get your crepes any other day,” She grins, eliciting an amused scoff from Minho. “Anyways, this is Hyunjin. He’s here to see you.” 

When Hyunjin’s eyes connect with the male’s, he momentarily wonders whether attractiveness was a requirement to be able to live in Sleepywood. 

“A little overdressed for the festival, aren’t ya?” Minho jokes. Hyunjin sheepishly laughs in response and extends his free hand for a handshake. Minho takes it with a firm grip and a boyish grin.

“Hwang Hyunjin. I’m a bounty hunter from Kerning and you’re listed as an alibi for Kim Seungmin.” Hyunjin tries to ignore the way Yeji looks at him with wide, shining eyes and holds a strong gaze with male in front. 

“I see,” Minho’s expression remains still, but his eyes show that Hyunjin’s presence isn’t a surprise, “Come in and we can talk over some tea.” 

Yeji glances between the two and smiles nervously, “I’ll just stick around, or something.” She says. 

As Hyunjin is about to enter Minho’s stall, he’s stopped by Yeji’s tight grip on his hand. She looks up at him with big eyes, emotions untelling, but even so, Hyunjin can guess what she’s about to tell him.

“Please don’t hurt Seungmin.” Yeji’s voice is low and begging and Hyunjin is reminded of his younger self when he stares into her eyes. 

He tightens the hand holding hers and smiles, “I know.” Is all he says before letting go to follow Minho into his house.

Once inside, Hyunjin is instantly hit with the smell of vanilla and honey and can’t help but think that the scent fits Minho very well. 

“You’re not the first to come here looking for Seungmin,” Minho says as he takes a seat on his sofa. He nods his head at the other sofa in front of him, separated by a coffee table, before leaning back with his legs crossed. “But you’re definitely the least aggressive.”

Hyunjin coughs, “Yeah well, I take my job very seriously.” The house is silent save for the muffled laughter and occasional shouting from outside. He busies himself with the sandwich between his hands as he tries to think of what to say next, not wanting to appear as a threat to Minho. 

“I’m currently holding documents on Kim Seungmin and they state that he’s guilty of multiple criminal offenses.” 

“Ah.” Is all Minho responds with. 

Hyunjin’s eyebrows raise into his bangs, “Ah?”

“Well what else am I supposed to say? He’s no saint. But I can assure you that he’s never harmed a single limb,” Minho takes a bite into his sandwich before quipping out a few more words, “Except my own, of course.” 

“Yeji says you guys are as tight as a school of fish.” Hyunjin says. He observes the other male’s features and the way his eyes soften instantly upon hearing the statement.

“You could say that,” Minho hums, he chews thoughtfully before continuing, “Seungmin is very… Independent. So I guess he decided having Yeji and I by his side was enough company for one guy.” 

Hyunjin’s mind flashes to earlier, to when he first arrived, “I saw him with a group earlier, though?” 

“Yeah. He’s a favourite among the teenagers. They love the way he spoils them.” 

“How could he afford to spoil them?” Hyunjin’s response is a little too quick for his liking and Minho’s eyes dart to look into his, curious. “I mean, sorry. That came out a little weird, but Yeji told me he has no background.” 

Minho sighs and leans forward to place his sandwich on the coffee table before extending his hands out towards Hyunjin, “Pass over your documents.” 

Flustered, Hyunjin quickly fumbles through his bag and fishes out Seungmin’s profile before giving them over. Minho takes a minute to flip through the pages, he bursts out into laughter a few times and Hyunjin wanders what on earth could be _that_ funny.

“See this?” Minho flips around the pages to face the bounty hunter with his index finger pointed at a particular word: thievery. 

“Out of everything in this booklet, the only correct things are his name, age, photo and this.” 

“Just thievery?” Hyunjin question, he’s unsure of whether Minho is telling the truth but his heart softens. The black-haired male doesn’t want to acknowledge it, but he’s also extremely relieved Seungmin isn’t what the people back in Kerning painted him as. 

“Yes, just thievery. I’m his partner in crime.” Minho rolls his eyes, “You wanna know why that group of teenagers favour him so much? They’re all starved by the capitalist system of Sleepywood. They don’t give a shit about kids in this place. It’s a tourist trap.”

He pauses to allow Hyunjin to take in the information before continuing with a fond smile, “Seungmin goes out to all kinds of places. Ellinia, Henesys, sometimes even as far as Orbis. Just to feed those guys food that isn’t toast or shredded pork.” 

“I always tell him not to spoil them too much but he never listens.” 

Hyunjin loses his appetite, lost in the way Minho is describing Seungmin like he’s some modern day Robin Hood. He smacks his head in realisation.

“Jesus, _that’s_ why Yeji called you his Little John.” 

Minho cackles, “I guess that’s what I am, aren’t I.” 

Before Hyunjin can ask the other male anything, the front door slams open and Seungmin appears, hair a mess and facial feature frazzled. 

“They searched here yesterday, I didn’t think they’d come back so soon.” Is all he says without a single glance towards Hyunjin. The bounty hunter ignores the way his heart slightly clenches at not being recognised by the blonde male and instead he looks over to Minho for answers.

The door shuts with a bang behind Seungmin as he rushes past them and into the bathroom on the other side of the room. Minho faces Hyunjin with a strange look, “It’s your kind.” 

“Huh?” Hyunjin stammers.

“Bounty hunters. Which is why we’re constantly moving around. He may have good intentions but Seungmin likes to mess with the wrong kind of people which gets our asses on wanted posters around the country.” 

Hyunjin bites his lip in thought, the image of Seungmin’s tired face stuck in his head. 

“If they come in, I’ll hold them off.” 

Minho’s right eyebrow raises and his voice is accusatory when he says, “Oh? Because you want to keep the bounty for yourself?”

“No, because I believe he isn’t like what my boss described him to be.”

“Sure.” Minho shrugs, stays seated, which piques at Hyunjin’s curiosity.

“Are you not gonna hide too? Just in case?” 

The other male laughs, “God no, there’s no need to. None of them know what I look like, they just know my name. Seungmin was always the one brave enough to actually do shit at the cost of having his face spotted.” 

“It’s a wonder he hasn’t been beheaded yet.” Hyunjin doesn’t mean to say it aloud but he quickly shies away when Minho agrees with an obnoxious laugh. 

++

Hyunjin exhales deeply through his nose. He’s currently seated on Minho’s rooftop, watching the way the sun is beginning to rise over the horizon of Sleepywood, painting the town with pretty shades of pink and yellow. The other male had allowed him to spend the night there, of course with catch that Hyunjin won’t sneak up to Seungmin in the middle of the night and snap his neck or something. 

“Bounty hunter, huh?” A familiar voice sounds from behind him. Hyunjin twists his head to look around, heart racing in shock and his eyebrows furrow when he’s greeted with the sight of Seungmin chuckling. 

God, does he want to punch that handsome smile right off his face.

“Thought you hated me.” Is all Hyunjin replies with. He pulls his legs up his chest and leans his chin onto his knees, ignoring the way his heart rate picks up when Seungmin decides to take a seat next to him.

“Hate is a strong word,” Seungmin teases. When he crosses his legs, his knee grazes Hyunjin’s thigh and the hunter’s ears burn a bright shade of red at the contact. “I don’t hate you. Don’t know where you got that from.” 

Hyunjin’s eyes squint into a glare, “You spat at my feet.” 

“You accused me of arson and homicide.” Seungmin deadpans. The two stare into each other’s eyes, neither wanting to be the first to back down.

“I did not accuse you of arson and homicide, you’ve been reported to have committed those so I’m just following along with what my boss said.”

Seungmin scoffs then shakes his head in disbelief, breaking eye contact to look ahead to where the town’s oak tree was. Hyunjin’s eyes soften the moment the blonde looks away and he tilts his head, allowing himself to get lost in the way Seungmin’s eyes are slightly downturned and his skin glows in the sunlight peeking through the tree’s branches.

The two spent a few moments in silence. Seungmin looked so at peace, Hyunjin didn’t want to disrupt it with any questions that could be taken the wrong way given his occupation.

Suddenly, Seungmin speaks up, “This is your chance to take me in handcuffs and have me decapitated.” He says.

“I’m not like that,” Hyunjin jeers, “I told you.” 

Seungmin hums, “Handsome, and thoughtful too.” His voice comes out low but Hyunjin definitely hears it and his cheeks heat up. 

“It’s not like a, your word against mine situation at all either,” The bounty hunter stutters, “A lot of people really like you. I could tell by the way they talked about you that they were being genuine too.” 

“And you?” 

Hyunjin looks at the blonde beside him in pure confusion, “Me?” 

“Are you included in the group of people who like me?” Seungmin looks back at him and they hold eye contact for a moment before Hyunjin snaps his head back to the front, flustered. 

“I’m kidding,” Seungmin laughs. “I got a call from Felix and Jeongin last night. It was after you went to bed.” 

Hyunjin dug his face into his knees, mind still hazy from Seungmin boldness but his ears perk up at the mention of Felix and Jeongin.

“I’m assuming you know who they are because they definitely knew who you were. Felix was sobbing, God, he was a mess,” Seungmin pauses to laugh, eyes forming warm crescents as he recounts the phone call to Hyunjin. “You should’ve heard him, he was all like, ‘Seungminnie! Why did you take so long to pick up!’” At the last sentence, Seungmin deepens his voice and mocks constant hiccups to imitate the way Felix had greeted him over the phone. Hyunjin can’t help the laugh that slips from between his lips, prompting Seungmin to continue with a wider smile. 

“It was really cute. He’s always like that. Always calling up on me to check whether my head is still attached to my neck. ‘Some more came by today and they said they were gonna display your face on the grips of their rifles!’” The blonde chortles. He stretches his legs out before him and leans back onto his hands, gazing up at the sky in fondness. 

Hyunjin stares. He stares at the way Seungmin’s bangs blow in the early morning breeze, he stares at the way his lips were so unnaturally smooth, he stares at the way the small freckle on the male’s ear makes him so much cuter. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Suddenly, they’re making eye contact and Hyunjin just wants the roof the break open and swallow him as he spots the glint of amusement in Seungmin’s smiling eyes. 

He stammers a low ‘shut up’ and look away, trying to distract himself with the way people are beginning to come out from their houses to open the market for the day. 

“You know, you’re pretty young for a bounty hunter. Are all Kerning officers like this? I might have to move there.” 

Hyunjin scoffs, “It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t.”

Seungmin’s gaze on the hunter softens in understanding, “I guess that’s what we have in common, then,” He holds up Hyunjin’s ID between two fingers, and the other’s eyes widen in surprise.

“How’d you get that?” 

“From what I managed to read last night, we’re the same age. And we’re both gay.” 

Hyunjin sputters, “No where on my ID does it say I’m gay, give that back.” He snatches the card from Seungmin who doesn’t put up a fight. Instead, the blonde merely grins before scooting closer enough for their thighs to be touching. 

“No, but you do give off the vibe, you know.” Seungmin’s face is now way too close for comfort, and Hyunjin immediately backs away with a loud cough. 

“You are aware that you’re a criminal, trying to hit up a member of the justice system right now?” Is all he says before standing up to head back inside the house. All he needs to do now is somehow lead Seungmin back to Kerning with him and he’ll be done, right?

“A criminal? Me?” Seungmin mockingly gasps, following after Hyunjin as they climb down onto the balcony, “Insulting. I thought by now you’d have a different image of me. After all, you were so willing to hide me away from the other bounty hunters last night.” 

Hyunjin scoffs, although too obnoxiously loud for his liking and Seungmin seems to see right through his disguise, “You may have not committed arson and all that, but you’re still a thief.” 

“As if you haven’t stolen a few things yourself, Hwang Hyunjin.” 

The bounty hunter breaks out into a sweat trying his best to hate the way his name sounds coming from Seungmin’s lips. 

They enter the living room downstairs where Minho was seated, sipping peacefully on a cup of tea. 

“What’s your favourite colour?”

The question is sudden and Hyunjin pauses, confused, “What?”

“Red? Blue? Or are you one of those people who like to answer with a shade like turquoise, or beige.” 

“Uh, purple.” Hyunjin answers. Seungmin seems somewhat content with his answer because he continues walking without a second thought and Hyunjin doesn’t know what to say next. 

Seungmin’s eyebrows raise teasingly, “You know where we can find the prettiest purple jewels?” 

“Are you really hinting at stealing jewels from royalty when I am right here?” Hyunjin deadpans. He frowns and crosses his arms over his chest when Seungmin merely laughs in response. When he stops laughing, the blonde faces Minho with a wide grin.

Hyunjin tells himself to stop being so surprised whenever the other male smiles and to focus instead on bringing him back to Kerning. 

“I’m gonna head over to Henesys to surprise Jeongin with soup.” 

The bounty hunter suddenly exclaims in realisation, “Wait,” He suddenly quips. Both Minho and Seungmin look at him with wide eyes and but Hyunjin finds himself only looking at Seungmin when he says, “Felix wanted me to tell you to grab some granny smiths for Jeongin. I almost forgot.” 

“Oh? He trusted you enough to think you’d be able to relay that message and not kill me on the spot?” Seungmin retorts with a smirk.

Hyunjin rolls his eyes, “Maybe because Felix was thoughtful enough to know that bounty hunters don’t kill, we only capture criminals.” 

“Right. Let’s go then.” 

Hyunjin’s eyes widen, “Huh?”

“That seems to be your favourite word.” Minho says from his spot on the sofa and Hyunjin spits out a flat laugh to humour the man before returning his attention to Seungmin who responds.

“I could see it in your eyes. You’re wanting to snatch me up and take me back to Kerning with the first chance you get.” He says it like its a fact and Hyunjin hates the way he looks away with guilt. He shouldn’t feel guilty, it’s his job. And he needs the prize money.

“Not wrong, am I? That’s why I’m giving you the opportunity to do so after I have those granny smiths delivered.”

Before Hyunjin can reply, Seungmin steps out of the house with a final goodbye to Minho who waves in return. The bounty hunter quickly nods at the male on the sofa being rushing out also, following after the blonde before he loses sight of him completely.

“First, we’re gonna pay a short visit to a well-known farm nearby. Owned by my good friend.” Seungmin says when Hyunjin catches up with him outside. 

The sun is now fully up in the sky, shining brightly through thin clouds, and the two make their way to the entrance of the town where Hyunjin’s bike was still parked. Hyunjin can’t deny the surprise he feels when Seungmin swings his leg over the bike and settles himself towards the end of the seat.

“Thanks for the ride.” Is all the blonde says as he grins at Hyunjin, pearly whites on show. 

The bounty hunter scoffs and passes his helmet to Seungmin who hesitates to take it, “You’re the inexperienced one.” 

“Gee, thanks. As if I hadn’t spent my entire life working around dangerous environments.” Hyunjin ignores him and heels back the kickstand before starting up the engine. 

“Where to, princess?” 

Seungmin makes a show of gagging exaggeratedly before responding, “Just keep going straight ahead and then turn at the first right.” 

As they speed through gravel and patches of trees, Hyunjin scolds himself internally. He, a well-rounded bounty hunter, top of his game and probably one of the best in the country, is currently giving a ride to a supposedly high-class criminal to an orchard farm. 

The situation would be laughable if it weren’t for the fact that his career, and possibly _life_ too, was on the line. 

“So how long have you been after me?” Seungmin’s voice sounds right beside his right ear and it takes Hyunjin all the willpower to not let it affect him.

“Went out yesterday midday, just started.” 

Seungmin whistles, impressed, but Hyunjin finds it hard to tell whether it’s genuine or not, “So it took you less than a day to capture me. You really _are_ top of your game.”

The bounty hunter tightens his grip on the handles of the bike, the tone of Seungmin’s statement was all too familiar and it didn’t hit well with him, “Don’t patronise me.” He mutters.

Suddenly, the blonde’s arms snake around Hyunjin’s waist and the bike swerves a little, eliciting an alarmed ‘woah!’ from the culprit. 

“You said bounty hunters don’t kill,” Seungmin jokes as his hold around Hyunjin’s waist tightens, “Turn here.”

Hyunjin makes a right turn and soon after, they arrive at a large orchard farm. It’s entrance is marked with a large sign printed with ‘Johnny’s Orchard’ and several trucks are parked along the front.

“You’re friends with a corporate owner?” Hyunjin questions as they slow down near the sign. 

Seungmin hums, “Of course, I am! Go park over there.” he points to where untamed bushes border the side of the car park, an area very clearly hidden from plain sight.

“Go park in the bushes?” Hyunjin stops the bike and look at Seungmin through the side mirror, eyebrow quirking in suspicion.

“Johnny’s not really expecting any guests today.” 

“Kim Seungmin, I’m not assisting you in stealing granny smith apples.” 

Seungmin taps a hand at Hyunjin’s abdomen and whines, “Oh come on, it’s not stealing. We’re just borrowing a few for our sick friend.” 

Hyunjin didn’t want to go along with it. He really didn’t, but somehow he finds himself parking the bike behind the lining of bushes so that they were away from the general view. The bounty hunter groans and leans his forehead on his dashboard, unbelieving of what is about to happen. 

“Hurry up.” Is all that comes out of his mouth before he feels Seungmin’s weight lifting from the motorcycle. The blonde laughs as he disappears into the orchard farm before Hyunjin can change his mind. 

The male sits there for a while, thinking. Now’s his chance to call up Sheriff Park, or any other officers nearby. He could just get off his bike and go into the house next to the orchard where poor old Johnny could be, making his breakfast, unaware of the crime unfolding in his backyard. 

He could go in and tell Johnny of Seungmin’s plans, tell him that there’s a high-class criminal in his backyard stealing from his apple trees, and that they should call the police over right this instant and catch him. 

He could, but he doesn’t. He can’t seem to find himself to. Instead, he thinks about how Seungmin seems to genuinely enjoy his presence and how, in turn, he seems to enjoy Seungmin’s as well. They’ve only known each other for a short while, barely even a day, but he feels a connection. 

And Seungmin is also insanely attractive.

5 minutes have passed and Hyunjin begins to grow weary, _was Seungmin caught?_

There’s no way right? But there’s also no way it could take a single man 5 minutes to grab a few apples. His knees are weak, but Hyunjin manages to stand up from his bike, quickly turning off the engine before heading into the direction he saw Seungmin walk in earlier.

“Seungmin?” The bounty hunter calls. Silence greets him. 

The orchard is big, it’s really, really big. But the apple trees are right where the entrance is, Hyunjin notes as he walks over to stand next to one. So Seungmin shouldn’t be far.

“This isn’t funny, come out.” Hyunjin’s voice wavers this time, maybe Seungmin really did get caught. The hunter looks around and peers through the never-ending rows of trees before his ears perk up at the sound of quick footsteps.

The male squints into the distance, and is sure he sees Seungmin’s dark blue sweater closing in on him. Hyunjin is about to call out, extremely relieved at seeing the other male but quickly stops himself when he sees two more figures appear from behind Seungmin. 

When the blonde is close enough, he roughly grabs onto Hyunjin’s hand and pulls him along, also prompting the other boy to sprint along. 

“Are you insane!?” Hyunjin shouts, looking behind him to see two brawly looking men chasing after them.

Seungmin says nothing but laughs out loud instead, and Hyunjin thinks the blonde male is insane for laughing in a situation like this. 

Once at the entrance, the two hop on Hyunjin’s bike and he quickly turns the ignition before speeding off in the direction they came from. 

Their heavy breathing is muffled by the wind hitting against their faces and Seungmin finds himself breaking out in laughter again. His arms are tightly wrapped around Hyunjin’s waist with his cheek nestled against his back. Tightly gripped in his fist is a plastic bag containing 3 granny smith apples and Hyunjin is relieved when he realises the other male is unscathed.

“Why did you go so far down?” He scolds Seungmin, who only keeps laughing in response. 

After a while, the blonde finally replies, out of breath, “The suspense was exhilarating! I saw a rabbit head down the path and followed it, thinking I’d find a family or something. But then these two dorito-shaped men came out from one of the sheds and suddenly came at me like _I_ was the animal.”

Hyunjin shakes his head, disbelief colouring his features as Seungmin lets out a few more giggles and coughs. Call him cheesy, but he was starting to like the way Seungmin was so carefree. The way he was willing to risk his life just to see a family of foxes was endearing too. 

Seungmin’s next sentence sends Hyunjin into a spiral, “I thought about how Jeongin would’ve loved it if I told him a short story of how I met a family of foxes. He loves those things.” 

How could someone be so unbelievably thoughtful was beyond him. Seungmin wasn’t a criminal, he just looked out for people more than the average person. It was heartwarming. Hyunjin finds himself smiling fondly as he begins to grow hyper-aware of how close they were to each other at that moment. Seungmin was like no other. He was nothing like how Jongdae, or Changbin, or Sheriff Park painted. 

Soon, the two arrive at Henesys and Felix and Jeongin instantly yell in excitement at the sight of Seungmin with his head still attached to his body.

“Innie, it’s Seungmin and Hyunjin!” They hear Felix shout from the foster care’s front porch. Hyunjin chuckles when he sees Jeongin deadpan a ‘I know, I see them too’ although the sweetness in the way his eyes smile says otherwise to his tone.

Hyunjin quickly parks where he had the night before and the moment Seungmin hops off, the other two sprint over to engulf him in a tight hug.

“Woah there Jeongin, don’t pass your disease onto me.” The blonde jokes, wrapping his arms around his two friends. Hyunjin watches fondly at the way Seungmin’s features soften with his lips stretched into the widest smile he’s ever seen. 

When the three separate, Seungmin raises the hand holding onto the bag of apples, “I got your grannys.” eliciting wondered gasps and cheers from Felix and Jeongin. Jeongin snatches the bag of fruit before running back into the foster care and Felix follows after.

Seungmin and Hyunjin are left standing alone at the entrance, silence engulfing them as they gaze off with gentle smiles. 

Hyunjin’s daydream is snapped when Seungmin suddenly turns around to face him, face blank like when they had first met, and the hunter feels his stomach churn. 

“I guess this is it, huh? Apples are delivered, so the only thing left to do is turn myself in.” Seungmin raises both his hands before him with extended arms and Hyunjin quirks an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?”

The blonde shakes his wrists, looking at Hyunjin like the answer is the most obvious thing in the world, “Handcuff me.” 

“I’m not gonna turn you in.” It’s taken him a lot of thought to come to the conclusion, but Hyunjin finds himself spewing out the next words without a second thought and his mind begins to feel hazy.

“You’re, not like any other person I’ve ever met,” Hyunjin begins, his eyes staring right into Seungmin’s, “When I first got assigned this mission to capture you, I was expecting some psychopath who lights up barns for fun but really, you’re just someone who takes care of others to make up for the fact that you lost the chance to do so for your own siblings when you were younger.” 

Seungmin hisses, “Yikes, way to hit home,” 

Hyunjin ignores the comment and steps closer to grab the blonde’s hands into his own, “You had all these people backing you up while the only credible source I held was a document given by some fat bastard who only cares for his own income. So I’m gonna risk everything I have right now, and let you go. You don’t deserve to live a life behind bars. Even if you’re proven innocent, they’re still gonna take you in because they can.” 

The two are silent for a short moment and Seungmin gazes sadly into the hunter’s eyes.

“You’re willing to drop your entire career for some modern day Robin Hood?”

Hyunjin clears his throat, “A hot, modern day Robin Hood. But yeah, I guess you could put it that way.” 

Seungmin’s eyebrows quirk with a teasing look, “Hot? So you’re letting me go because I’m hot?”

“No,” Hyunjin stammers, he loses his train of thought due to the frustration of not being able to articulate his thoughts properly, “Listen, I don’t know what it is that’s possessing me to say this, but I want to get to know you. And meeting you and all these other people these past few hours has really got me thinking, you know?”

The hunter feels Seungmin’s thumb gently rubbing against his hand and he instantly feels comforted, despite the increasing burning of his ears.

Seungmin smiles, “It’s okay, I get you." 

"Hyunjin, You're willing to drop your career for me, there's no doubt I want to get to know who you are as well," Hyunjin smiles, and his insides warm with relief. However, Seungmin continues, "But this isn't some Hollywood romcom where it's okay to lose everything you've worked for just for some guy."

"Continue your career. You're undeniably good at it if you're one of the few at the top," Seungmin lets go of the other male's hands to pull him into a comforting hug, "I'll let you take me in, it's the least I could do." 

Hyunjin quickly releases from the hug in panic and grabs onto the blonde's shoulders, "Taking you in means that you will be punished for crimes you didn't commit, Seungmin. I'm not doing that." 

The criminal says nothing else. The only response he offers is shrugging off the hunter's hands from his shoulders and then extending his arms out. 

"You have the right to remain silent as you cuff me up."


End file.
